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Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Ancestor Approved Award

I am once again humbled by the number of nominations I have received for the Ancestors Approved Award. I honored to have been select by such an amazing group of genea-bloggers. So, thank you Mavis, Sharon, Mary, Southwest Arkie, Astrid, Irish Mason, Karen for your nominations and a special thanks to Leslie Ann who created this award.

The recipient of the Ancestor Approved Award lists ten things learned about their ancestors that have surprised, humbled, or enlightened. The recipient then passes the award to ten other bloggers that are doing their Ancestors proud.

I was humbled to discover that my 5th Great-Grandmother had a diary that was not only intact, but that resides in a museum in D.C. Visiting it in person this past summer was one of the most moving experiences of my life.

I was delighted to discover plat maps posted (for free) online for Richland County, Wisconsin that contained the homesteads of ancestors in several of my branches. A true treasure chest!

I was surprised to learned that my great-grandparents got married across the river in Iowa because they were expecting a little one in 7 months. Not that shocking today, but I am sure it was quite a fuss in the early 1900's!

I was delighted to find that my ancestor Abel Tyler was listed as a physician in one census record and then as a lawyer in the next. I have a bit more research to do, lol!

I was enlightened by the difficulties Sylvia faced daily in frontier Ohio. Reading her diary had me crying one minute and frightened the next. I don't think I would have survived life in the Western Reserve.

I was surprised at how willing my family is to drive to crazy remote Wisconsin locations to take pictures and walk cemeteries for me. Without their groundwork, my research would be seriously stalled.

I am delighted to discover that I am not the only one searching for Emma A. (Dean) Tyler! Emma, together we will break down the brickwall time has built around you.

I am surprised that my ancestors never knew their ancestors. I can't even count the number of times I have discovered something and one of my grandmother's will remark "well, we never knew that about...".

I was surprised to see just how poor some of my ancestors were. Dirt-floor-poor has an all new meaning to me.

Lastly, I am delighted at how many cousins I am finding through this blog and how receptive my living relatives have been to my research. These things make it all worthwhile.

The following 10 genea-bloggers are people whom I look up to and seek advice from on a regular basis. Your mentoring has been invaluable to me. Thank you.

2 comments:

Thanks Sara,I was catching up on my Blog Read and when I stopped by Lessons I see you have nominated me for the Ancetors Award. I really want to say Thank You and so greatly appreciate the recognition!!